One Dance
by Ryette
Summary: It all changed during that one dance. And it changed before it, too. Sake oneshot. Pretty much fluff, not much plot. R&R!


Ok, I'm in a oneshot mood. Sorry if this isn't good. I'm just bored and need to write.

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_**One Dance**_

_**By DSA**_

Darton High School had only 2 dances a year that were open to everyone. The Winter Dance and The Spring Dance.

The Winter Dance, strangely enough, took place during the Winter, a couple months after school started. It was going to be in a few days. It was the big one, where the crying in the bathrooms took place, the one where you could hear around every corner, "I thought he _liked _me! He told me so!"

The Spring Dance took place in the last few months of school. Not really in "spring", but technically still in the season. As in, not during the season of nice weather, flowers, and rainshowers, but still in spring. The last months of school where you felt like running the mile in your underwear because it was too hot to keep the gym uniform on and it felt like summer. During the spring dance, everyone was happy because it was the end of the year and most relationships had been worked out.

Right now, Jake Ely was standing bored by his locker, watching some pretty girls across the way giggling and pointing at him, while whispering to one of their blushing friends.

"Hi, Jake," the girl said flirtatiously, after her friends pushed her towards the 6 foot 1 senior.

Jake glanced at her. "And you are...?"

The brunette who seriously needed to buy bigger shirts and longer skirts let her mouth fall open in planned disbelief.

Jake backed up as far as he could when the girl hit him playfully on the arm and said, obviously getting bolder, "I'm in your homeroom, silly. I'm Amanda."

"Oh." To Amanda, that one word was as good as a rejection. She frowned, and then decided that she might as well use her title of "school slut" to her advantage. No guy had ever seemed this ignorant of her. So, she put her arms around him and pushed her breasts right up against his chest, smiling coyly at him. Jake felt like gagging. What was this girl doing?

"So," she continued with her display of hugging him in an attempt to make him ask her to the dance, "You going to the dance?"

"Not unless...SAM!" Jake shouted, seeing the short red head with her friend Jen.

"Jake? What are you doing?" Sam said, looking appalled at seeing her childhood friend pushed up against the lockers by Amanda.

Jake shoved Amanda away and, as she pouted while her eyes welled up with tears, he did the only thing he could think of to get rid of the girl who wouldn't leave him alone.

He kissed Samantha Anne Forster.

Gently but forcefully, he pressed his lips against hers. He found one of his hands moving up to her cheek and the other stayed holding her arm.

Sam struggled. What was he _doing? _

She finally gave up, since it seemed like he was doing this for a reason and she didn't want to mess up whatever it was.

Someone else did.

"Samantha. Jake. Break it up and come into my classroom, please," came the stern voice of Mrs. Ely.

Sam blushed as she and Jake pulled away from each other immediately. They saw that a crowd had formed and that Jake was blushing too, as his mom looked on with amusement.

As they walked into the history classroom, Sam avoided Jake's eyes. She did glance at him once and saw that he was looking at her with "I'm Sorry" written all over his face.

Jake didn't know why he did that. Maybe he wanted to show that annoying Amanda that he was interested in another girl or even had a girlfriend. Anything to keep her away.

"I assumed the two of you knew that there is a rule against public displays of affection." Mrs. Ely said, tapping her manicured fingernails on her desk while looking evenly at Sam and nearly standing on tip toe to look at her son.

"Yeah," Sam and Jake mumbled.

"I'll let you both off with just one garbage duty," the tiny blonde teacher said, handing them slips with their names on them and a place for a teacher to sign. "Return these to me tomorrow."

"Ok," the teenagers said, reluctantly taking the papers, before walking out of the classroom.

"Oh, and Sam?" Mrs. Ely called, before the two had reached the door. Sam nodded, looking questioningly at the teacher.

"I thought you would have chosen someone different than Jake. But, don't mind me. I doubt Brynna will have a problem with it. Although Luke and Wyatt may be a bit annoyed with this."

Sam stood with her jaw dropped in incredulity.

Jake set his jaw and said impatiently, "_Mom!"_

"What?" was the innocent reply of the freshman history teacher. "Get to class on time, now."

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The day of the dance.

One of the biggest days in school.

Sam knew she was going. She had to go since it was her assignment to cover the dance for journalism.

Jake had to drive Sam and Jen there. He had explained to her why he kissed her, and, though she seemed a little disappointed that there wasn't another reason, they were speaking to each other like normal.

Jake had decided that since he had to give Sam a ride back, he might as well stay for the whole dance rather than use up twice as much gas in the truck. When it was just about 15 minutes before he had to go get Sam, Jake showered, put on a sort of nice blue button up shirt, and a new pair of jeans along with the best boots he owned. There wasn't a point in looking that nice since the only dance that you had to be fancied up to attend was the graduation dance.

Sam, at River Bend Ranch, was getting ready a completely different way. From a girl's point of view, two dances in a year that sophomores could attend meant that you needed to look nice for both, without overdoing it. Fancy dresses were for graduation or homecoming, She put on the short white skirt her Gram had gotten her for her birthday, and the matching emerald green shirt with sequin details that complemented her reddish brown hair. She put her now shoulder-length hair in a half ponytail and neatened it up by adding a white headband. She simply put on some clear lipgloss and slid her feet into white flats and headed downstairs.

"Oh, I'm so glad you're wearing that outfit. You look very nice, dear," Gram said. Brynna said something similar, and added, "And Jake is just driving you there, am I correct?"

"What do you mean?" Sam asked.

"I just was wondering if he's your date to the dance or...," Brynna trailed off when she saw Sam look at her in shock. "Brynna! No way! He's just driving me and Jen there."

"Hmm...then Maxine mislead me. She said she had to talk to the two of you since you were kissing in the hallway."

Sam blushed. "He told me that was just to get rid of this girl Amanda that likes him. And _yes, _I'm fine with the fact that he doesn't like me," she said in response to an unasked question.

_Ding dong!_

"Jake's here! Bye!" Sam practically ran to the door to escape further questions about her life that she'd rather not tell everyone about.

"Hi Jake," Sam said, smiling as she stepped out of the house.

"Hey. You look nice," Jake commented as he looked at Sam. She really had become less of a stringbean with no figure and though she wasn't like a model or celebrity she was acceptable when it came to looks.

"Thanks, you do too," Sam said, accepting the compliment before getting into the passenger seat.

"Oh yeah, change of plans. Apparently Jen has decided to go with Darrell to the dance and he is giving her a ride. So we're not picking her up."

Sam nodded.

The ride was silent from that point on. It was a bit uncomfortable since they were going to show up together at the school dance and if you even got a ride with someone that wasn't related to you, that was the opposite gender, everyone gossiping person at school immediately had red warning lights going off in their minds that said, "Relationship! Relationship!"

Sam kept glancing at Jake. She couldn't help wondering why she couldn't strike up conversation and why she had been so disappointed a couple of days ago that he didn't like her. What if _she_ liked _him? _What if she spent the rest of the school year being one of the many girls that drew hearts around his name at the Number 1 spot on the hot guys list in the bathroom?

Yes, the truth was that if you even talked to Jake or had a class with him, everyone instantly plotted against you. Since Sam actually hung around with him, several girls shot daggers at her when she stood by his locker talking to him in between classes.

Sam knew this, and sometimes she felt a swell of pride that she was the envy of many girls in school. She had sworn that she would just stay friends with Jake, despite all the rumors going around about her and Jake, but now she wasn't so sure.

Maybe she wanted to be more than just friends with him. She'd figure it out by the end of tonight. If she felt jealous enough of all the girls flirting with him, she'd know that she liked him.

Jake, on the other hand, knew that there was no chance of him liking Sam. Sure, she was pretty, but he just didn't picture himself with her. He had only kissed her because she was the only not ugly girl around that he knew, and it would make sense if people thought they were dating because then no one would question it.

They arrived at school. Since the doors weren't open to get into the gym yet, and there were only a few cars arriving at a time this early in the evening, everyone noticed who drove up.

"LOOK! JAKE ELY AND SAMANTHA FORSTER _ARE_ GOING OUT!"

"No point in trying to persuade us that you're just friends now!"

Sam hid behind Jake's tall frame and whispered, "This is going to be one night of torture. All I wanted to do was come and observe so I can get an A plus on my article."

"Hello! I didn't even want to be here. I was bribed with food to drive you here. I wouldn't stay the whole time but having to drive for an hour 4 times instead of 2 is expensive," Jake said back.

"Sam!" Jen waved from her spot in line. Next to her was Darrell, who, miraculously, wasn't wearing baggy worn jeans and a hat. In a nice t-shirt and black pants, he almost looked cute. Jen, wearing a blue peasant skirt and yellow top, looked extremely happy to be there with Darrell, since all their friends knew they liked each other.

"So, you got Sammy girl to go with you?" Darrell said, nodding as Sam and Jake cut into the line next to their friends, to extreme protests.

"No! I had to give her a ride here and she's just doing journalism homework."

"Dang, Sammy, even on Friday you're doing homework. Overachiever." Darrell joked before silencing at the look on Sam's face.

Conversation was limited and just small talk until they reached the doors. Jen and Darrell immediately raced to go dance.

"I didn't think she'd ever end up with Darrell. But I guess they do kind of work together," Sam commented.

Jake nodded. He wasn't really paying attention. He just wanted it to be over.

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12 giggling girls and 5 cups of juice later, Jake was still following Sam around as she enthusiastically took pictures. She knew this assignment was huge, especially since this was 1 of only 2 dances to be covered and they were major events.

Jake, however, couldn't wait to get home. He thought that maybe the punch was spiked, since he was starting to find himself...liking Sam? At least, he thought so. Maybe he was just tired.

15 flirting girls and an additional 10 cups of punch later, Jake knew that he couldn't be hallucinating. He liked Sam. The longer he stayed around her as she bounced around, laughing and taking pictures of her friends, the more he realized that he liked her. Maybe it was just that she was so happy around all these people. Whatever it was, he was kind of glad that he liked her. But it was so sudden.

"Sam?" Jake tapped her on the shoulder.

"Yeah?" Sam said, smiling.

"Alright. There have been so many girls asking me why I'm not dancing with you and it's driving me insane, so would you dance with me?"

As if on cue, a slow song that Sam loved came on. She couldn't resist. "Um...sure. I guess."

The two of them walked out onto the dance floor and naturally began to sway to the music. Sam hesitantly put her arms around his neck and Jake slid his arms around her waist.

Sam knew something was up. He seemed to into it to be faking.

"I like you, Sam." He murmured.

"What?" Sam said back.

"I know you heard me." Jake rolled his eyes.

"I thought so." Sam smiled.

"You are the only girl in this school who hasn't spent the whole night clinging onto me. It's a relief to get away from them. But I like you. That's the reason I asked you to dance."

"I like you too, Jake. I didn't really think so, though. Earlier, I mean," Sam said.

Jake softly pressed his lips against hers and her eyelids fluttered shut. This was real. Not like the fake, spur of the moment, help-me-get-away-from-this-pyscho-girl-kiss. This was an I like you kiss.

A soft round of applause from their friends was the only thing that broke the two apart.

When the dance was over, Sam contemplated the night. She had arrived as "Jake's girlfriend." And now, she was leaving as Jake's girlfriend, truly. Not for show.

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A/N: I'll admit I got impatient and couldn't think of a way for them to admit their feelings, so I rushed it along at the end. But tell me how it was! I know it was insanely long. But R&R!


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